milleb



(No Model.)

W. H. MILLER. SUPPORT FOR CARRIAGE SHAFTS.

No. 308,782. I Patented Dec. 2, 1884.

WITNEEEEE. lNVEINTElFh Arnn r' FFICE SUPPORT FOR CARRIAGE-SHAFTS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 308,782, dated December 2, 18 84. l pplicationfiled July 23, 1884. (No model.)

' zenof the United States, residing at Provideuce, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supports for Car riage-Shafts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference be ing had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to means for supporting the thills or shafts of a carriage; and it consists of a portable standard, made from wood or other suitable materials, its lower end, when in use, adapted to rest upon the ground, the upper end thereof being provided with a socket or cavity adapted to be placed beneath the center of the whiffletree.

The invention further consists in combining a hinged or jointed brace with said standard, to prevent the carriage from moving rearward, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth. I

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 represents, in reduced scale, the improved support as in use. the device enlarged, and Fig.3 is the same having the hinged brace removed.

The object of my invention is to provide a portable, efficient, and at the same time cheap device for the support of vehicle-shafts when the carriage is not in use. To this end, again referring to the drawings, B represents the support or standard,made from wood or other material, having a metallic spur, s, at its lower end, adapting it to rest securely upon the ground. The opposite end of said support is provided with the metallic cap 6, the latter having the beveled side a and cavity a. A

brace, e, is hinged, at f, to the short side of the standard B, and retained, when closed, by the clasp h, all as fully shown in Fig. 2.

The manner of using the improved thill- Fig. 2 represents support is as follows: After placing the vehicle in position, the shafts 0 thereof are elevated. (See Fig. 1.) The spur end of the support B is now placed upon the ground, and the top end thereof placed beneath the center of the shaft-tie, the metallic plate or washer of the latter resting upon the beveled surface a. At the same time the out of the bolt which passes through the whiffletree is concealed in the cavity or socket a, the latter serving to retain the support in position laterally, the brace 6, when employed, preventing any rearward movement of the vehicle.

It is obvious that the standard B may be made of tubing, or the whole may be of cast or even wrought metal, if desired, without departing from the spirit and intent of the invention. I am of course aware that simple supports or props for this purpose, made of pieces of board, &c., have been used before. Such props, however, are muchmore liable to become accidentally displaced, and I therefore do not claim such broadly; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, withthe shaftsof a carriage, of the portable support herein described, consisting of the standard B, having a recessed end adapted to engage with said shafts, substantially as shown and set forth.

2. The carriage-shaft support herein described, consisting of the standard B, pro vided with the socket portion 1) at its upper end, the latter being beveled at -a, substantially as shown and set forth.

3. The combination, with the carriage-shaft support, consisting of the standard B, having spur s and socket portion 12, of the hinged brace 6, arranged substantially as shown, and

for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIAM H; MILLER. Witnesses: A

Gno. H. REMINGTON, CHARLES HANNIGAN. 

